LISA SNOWDON
“I feel like I truly come alive in the summer. Everything about the season is revitalising. Peonies come out to play and brighten up my home and I get so much pleasure from the simple things - sitting around in the garden with friends, eating delicious food and sipping on cold crisp white wine. When I’m not relaxing at home with the sun on my face I love to go for long walks in Epping Forest or indulging in lots of incredible food around town whether that be at Dinings in Marylebone, sitting at the bar to indulge in delicious sushi, a long pub lunch at the Fox and Hound in Hunsdon, spending time with my nieces and nephews at Twos Twos (the best burgers in Hertford) or cooking paella with my partner George.”
Lisa Snowdon, Television and Radio Presenter
“This month’s Hotlister is the fabulous Lisa Snowdon who is on a mission to spread the word: growing old just means getting better! She has just released her first book, ‘Just Getting Started: The new menopause guide for 2023 to help you cope with signs, symptoms and everything else to improve your life.’ A refreshingly intimate and hugely inspirational must-read.”
Jenny Halpern Prince
book: just getting started: the new menopause guide for 2023 to help you cope with signs, symptoms and everything else to improve your life
To buy your copy of Lisa’s book click here.
Restaurant: The Campaner
The Campaner in Chelsea is a brand new Barcelona inspired restaurant that shares its space with the recently restored Grade ll listed Garrison Chapel. The team behind this new space are also behind Terraza Martinez in Barcelona which is best known for being the place to enjoy a seafood paella overlooking the sea from their position on the slopes of Montjuic. The Campaner translates as the bell ringer in Spanish and has taken over the award-winning restaurant space designed by architect Ben Pentreath at Chelsea Barracks. You may remember the space previously played host to two Ollie Dabbous pop ups called The Chelsea Barracks Kitchen and Hideaway. With Barcelona as its inspo you can take a good guess at the food on offer but there is a huge focus on British suppliers including the likes of Wright Bros, Natoora, Neal’s Yard, HG Walter, and Walter and Son. With charcoal oven-cooked specials and large rice dishes to share, you can also tuck into some of Terraza Martinez' signatures including the monkfish and lobster casserole and Coquelette with baked rice, seasonal legumes and vegetables. Open from late breakfast onwards the restaurant's cloistered walkway should be a lovely spot for alfresco terrace during the warmer months.
Art: National Portrait Gallery reopening
After a three year renovation, the National Portrait Gallery is finally reopening its doors in June with a full re-presentation of the collection, combined with a significant refurbishment of the building, the creation of public spaces, a more welcoming visitor entrance and public forecourt, and a new Learning Centre. The Inspiring People project has transformed the National Portrait Gallery. Designed by Jamie Fobert Architects and made possible by major grants from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ross Foundation and David and Molly Lowell Borthwick. In terms of what to see after the grand re-opening, then get yourself tickets to First Look Festival, which will give you the chance to celebrate and experience the all new National Portrait Gallery. A special in-conversation event with Paul McCartney will headline the Festival, with more from artist talks and curator tours, to practical workshops and DJ sets, festival highlights include in-conversations with artist Tracey Emin and architect Jamie Fobert. You can take part in art and photography workshops and attend a variety of free events including poetry performances and Deaf-led and British Sign Language interpreted sessions and descriptive events for partially sighted visitors. For families, the festival includes a range of free activities on Saturday 24 June and Saturday 1 July, where you can discover the new spaces and faces through trails, storytelling sessions and family tours. Young people can take part in a variety of free activities including artist workshops, tours, spoken word, music and film screenings on Sunday 25 June and Sunday 2 July.
Bar: P Franco
P Franco was a small restaurant based in East London working with seasonal ingredients and natural wines that unexpectedly had to close back in March, much to the chagrin and tears of many a fan. They launched a crowdfunder to save the venue and hurrah, it worked and they are opening again this month. The funds they raised (an astonishing £20k in a month, testament to its popularity) is being spent on new equipment, re-stocking, set up fees, rent and maintenance work, allowing them to reopen their doors to its adoring fans. Stay tuned to their insta and website for an exact opening date but expect the best from this natural wine bar and restaurant/shop. Their no reservation policy means rocking up early to grab a stool or two but be prepared to settle in for the night. Their reputation entices you in but the magic makes you stay. Dishes have included cheese plates or ravioli, spiced short rib or gochujang ragu and when we say or we really mean ‘and’ because you always order more than one thing. It’s a grab a bottle of wine and serve yourself sort of joint so you almost feel like you're at home….with a bunch of strangers who aren’t afraid to talk to each other. The relaxed vibe is what makes P Franco so special and we couldn't be more thrilled to see it reopen.
Exhibition: The Offbeat Sari
In recent years, the sari has been reinvented. Designers are experimenting with hybrid forms such as sari gowns and dresses, pre-draped saris and innovative materials such as steel. Young people in cities who used to associate the sari with dressing up can now be found wearing saris and sneakers on their commutes to work. Individuals are wearing the sari as an expression of resistance to social norms and activists are embodying it as an object of protest. The Design Museum is opening a major new exhibition called The Offbeat Sari, celebrating the contemporary sari. Curated by the Head of Curatorial, Priya Khanchandani, this exhibition will unravel its numerous forms, demonstrating the sari to be a metaphor for the layered and complex definitions of India today. It will bring together dozens of the finest saris of our time from designers, wearers and craftspeople in India. Worn as an everyday garment by some and considered by others to be formal or uncomfortable, the sari has multiple definitions. Conventionally an unstitched drape wrapped around the body, which can be draped in a variety of ways, its unfixed form has enabled it to morph and absorb changing cultural influences. Today, the sari in urban India manifests as a site for design innovation, an expression of identity, and a crafted object carrying layers of cultural meanings. The exhibition will unravel the sari as a metaphor for the complex definitions of India today. A must see on the London cultural tour for the month.
Art Pop Up: Bold Tendencies
Established in 2007, Bold Tendencies is a not-for-profit arts organisation based in the rooftop spaces at Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park in South London. They created a public space in a disused building in the city and over 16 years have transformed the site into an experimental civic space and much-loved place of assembly. Bold Tendencies supports artists to develop their ideas and to realise site-specific projects and present live performances from its rooftop home. It commissions new visual art — 128 works to date — and produces an award-winning live programme of music, dance, opera and live readings. Bold Tendencies is for everyone. The project has welcomed more than 3 million people in 16 summer seasons since 2007, animating the programme and the site for the neighbourhood through standalone education and community initiatives that take culture and civic values seriously. This year’s programme, entitled Crisis, continues the non-profit organization’s mission of commissioning new visual art and presenting public performances of music, opera, and dance at their experimental civic space. This season, they have invited Emory Douglas, Jenny Holzer, Kahil Robert Irving, Sandra Poulson, and Abbas Zahedi to create works that ask what crisis looks and feels like in the 21st century. “Everywhere, we are told, we are in crisis,” the organization writes. “Fires burn around the world while virtues of democracy, social justice, and freedom are plagued by paranoia, despair, and ignorance.” Crisis tackles subjects including transphobia, the climate emergency and global anti-racist struggles. This is so worth a visit.
Food: Gloves Off
A new open-air venue has opened in East London- Run by the team behind The Glove That Fits, Gloves Off has launched in in Hackney, boasting a Funktion-One sound system, its music policy will centre around down tempo, ambient and experimental. Located right next to The Glove That Fits, Gloves Off offers free entry. Its opening hours are midday to11 PM on Saturday, midday to10 PM on Sunday and 5 PM until late from Wednesday to Friday. With an expansive drinks menu, including ‘unique cocktails, natural wine and alcohol-free options’ there is plenty to keep you refreshed in the summer sun (Drink responsibly kids). On the food side, there are pop-ups from a rotating roster of local vendors, selling a range of cuisines like Japanese BBQ, pizza and more. And as this is so conveniently located next to TGTF, you can pop on down to continue the party once the sun sets!
Event: Summer by the River
Sun + Londoners = doing everything outside. So you’ll be excited by Summer by the River, a new 3 month ‘festival’ along the banks of the Thames over three locations – The Scoop, Hay's Galleria and The Pier. Starting on 1st June, lose yourself in new experiences, reconnect with old friends and feed your curiosity or your appetite. This year’s festival is bringing riverside retreat vibes to Live at The Scoop - a vibrant mix of music, film, theatre and pop-up events all summer long. From family favourites to this year’s box office hits, sit back and watch the best of the silver screen as the sun sets over The Scoop every Tuesday evening including classics like Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, Matilda and more. Thursday night is new music night at The Scoop, showcasing the hottest up-and-coming talent, including blistering line-ups presented by Jess Iszatt from BBC Music Introducing in London. Missed out on tickets to Wimbledon or Royal Ascot? Catch all the action from the summer’s biggest fixtures here in London Bridge City. Screening highlights from the cricket too as you tuck into strawberries and Pimm’s. Want to chill? Take time out for a little R&R at one of the pop-up bars. Overlooking the Thames with stunning views of the City, the Riverside Terrace and Riverside Pavilion are serving up the hottest food and drink in town. Choose from an irresistible range of fried chicken burgers from Honey Honey Chicken or the ultimate comfort food, served hot and made-to-order by Bad Boy Pizza, before treating yourself to ice cream from crowd-pleasers Nice Day. Whether you’re catching up with friends, planning the perfect date or just looking for somewhere to sit and watch the world roll by, the bars with their live DJ sets offer the ideal backdrop for your summer.
Charity of the Month: Marmalade Trust
The Marmalade Trust is the UK’s leading loneliness charity for all ages and the only charity in the world specifically dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness. They are a small charity with a big mission – and the momentum is growing. They have twofold approach to loneliness: Number one: through projects they identify the people most at risk from experiencing loneliness in society, signpost them to the right support and resources and help empower them to make new friendships and connections. Number two: through their national and international campaigns they raise awareness about loneliness across all sections of society. On both a micro and macro level they are committed to bringing about positive and lasting change. They have also spearheaded National Loneliness Week that falls between the 12th and 18th June which is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends or colleagues about loneliness. Loneliness is a natural human emotion - we are hardwired to need social connections. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others. You can sign up to email alerts on the website on how you can get involved but by identifying and acknowledging all the times that we have personally felt and experienced loneliness, we can start to change our viewpoint, accept it and understand how to take action to manage the feeling (and our social connections) in the future. Click here to donate.
App of the month: My Pollen Forecast
It’s that time of year where millions are affected by pollen and it can be truly debilitating. My Pollen Forecast is the best app for tracking the pollen count and your allergens. You can view hayfever forecasts for the next 2 days and keep a diary of your symptoms. By using the app you will become more prepared for any allergy or asthma difficulties you could experience. The app shows a map where you can see which areas have the highest pollen count, provides a 2-day pollen forecast including temperature, wind and humidity. You can discover which pollens you are most allergic to by adding diary entries frequently, receive push notifications when the pollen count is expected to be high! It’s essentially a handy pollen sidekick to help you get through this nasty season!